Lighten Up

Dim and Dimmer

Install dimmer switches where dimmed lighting makes sense, like the dining room and hallways. Any light bulb dimmed by 25 percent (including incandescents) will use roughly 20 percent less energy. Dimming one 75 watt incandescent by 25 percent for only 4 hours a day will save you 30 pounds of carbon over the course of the year. Start dimming around the house and watch the savings add up!

Save even more money with a dimmable CFLs, which last up to 10 times longer and use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. For a list of brands and where to buy them, read Fresh Finds.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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Convert to Green Power

The next step I am going to take to reduce my CO2 footprint is to switch to green power. I live in New York City, and my utility is Con Edison. They have a program called Green Power for residents and business customers. By selecting Green Power, I can buy electricity generated from regional wind and low-impact hydropower sources.

Con Edison makes it incredibly easy for its customers to sign up online simply by entering one's service information. And although it costs a bit more, ConEd's Green Power costs only an additional one cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) more than the utility's standard offer and Wind Power just 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) more, making it a very affordable way to make a difference. By switching to Green Power for the energy needs of my 2-bedroom apartment (which averages out to be about 925kWh/month) I'm reducing my CO2 emissions by about 795 pounds per month.

More than 50 percent of retail customers in the United States now have an option of purchasing a green power product directly from their electricity supplier. By doing so, you can support increased development of renewable energy sources, which can reduce the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas. Greater reliance on renewable sources also provides economic benefits and can improve our national energy security.

Even if your state is not implementing electricity market competition, you may still be able to purchase green power through your regulated utility. More than 600 regulated utilities spanning more than 30 states offer "green pricing" programs (see our map of green pricing programs). The term green pricing refers to an optional utility service that allows customers to support a greater level of utility investment in renewable energy by paying a premium on their electric bill to cover any above-market costs of acquiring renewable energy resources.

Finally, whether or not you have access to green power through your utility or a competitive electricity marketer, you can purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs). RECs (also known as green tags, green energy certificates, or tradable renewable certificates) represent the environmental attributes of power generated from renewable electric plants. A variety of organizations offer RECs separate from electricity service, that is, you need not switch from your current electricity supplier in order to purchase these certificates.

To find out what green power options are available in your state, visit the "Can I Buy Green Power in My State?" web page maintained by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Department of Energy, where you can click on your state to view available green power products.

I was also curious to know whether the Green Power offered by Con Edison was certified. Indeed, it is, by a well-respected organization called Green-e, a voluntary certification and verification program for wholesale, retail, and commercial electricity products, tradable renewable certificates (TRCs) and utility green pricing programs in the U.S. Green-e certifies about 100 retail and wholesale green power marketers across the country. To be sure that your green power purchase will benefit the environment, check out Green Power Consumer Protection.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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Turn Down Your Thermostat

Before you leave for work these wintry mornings, make the thermostat your final stop. During cold months, lowering the thermostat 10 degrees when no one is home can save 326 pounds of CO2 over the course of the year, and can reduce heating costs by ten percent. Plus, you'll avoid the sensation of walking straight in from the cold to the sauna. Instead, your home will warm up gradually as you do.

If you have an afternoon free, go on a hunt for heat leaks around the home. Hold a lit beeswax candle next to windows, doors, ceiling fixtures and any other seams in your walls. If the flame flickers to the side or (worse yet) is blown out, you've got a leak. Caulking, sealing or weather-stripping gaps will boost your heat savings and will allow you to turn down the thermostat even more. Try Geocel's VOC-free Quick Shield sealant (www.geocelusa.com) or other low-VOC varieties.

Lastly, never turn the heat off completely (or below 55 degrees during freezing weather), or you'll likely come home to frozen pipes!

© The Green Guide, 2008

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